By Paul Gover.
If you’re looking for the best in a Volkswagen Golf, take a look at the Audi S3.
It won’t be cheap, because an Audi badge and cabin comes with a premium, but there are plenty of people who are prepared to pay an extra $8000 to get a Golf R with the Audi herbs and spices.
Audi manages to inject a serving of ’special’ into a car which is still one of the very best in the compact class, even as the Golf 8 is on short-final for a landing in Australia.
The S3 has recently received a value boost with close to $9000 of extra gear, from its 19-inch alloys to sports seats with Nappa leather, a wireless phone-charger pad in the centre console, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and LED headlights.
But the key difference between an S3 and a Golf R is the body.
While Volkswagen gets through its Golf game with a conventional five-door hatchback, the S3 can come as a Sportback, a sedan or a cabriolet.
My styling favourite is the Sportback, which has a distinctive look in a sea of me-too shapes as well as a roomy boot and a roofline that gives a little more head space in the back seat. It’s not as spacious as a wagon, but the bigger boxy tail is a practical design.
The S3 is a brisk little beastie, not as aggressive as the RS3 that sits at the top of the A3 family, but more than quick enough for all conditions. It can really sprint with 213 kiloWatts and all-wheel drive, and is a rewarding and responsive drive in twisty terrain.
Some people find the DSG gearbox a little unrefined, and reluctant to take a manual down-change at times, but I find it generally good and it has great economy with quiet and composed touring.
The suspension can be firm on a bumpy road, but leave the driving mode set in ‘comfort’ and there is nothing to trouble the comfort. Actually, I only once trip it up to Sport and that is to have some fun with the farty exhaust note and uncork all of the performance on a remote country road.
Driving the S3 is enjoyable for almost all the time, although I’m not a fan of Audi’s intrusive driver-assistance systems. My first job in the car is to wind down the settings, and completely disable the lane-assistance that is far, far too keen to take control of the steering if it thinks you’re doing something wrong.
Usually, I am not. And there is no need to be fighting a car because you touch a white line on the inside of a corner.
The S3 has a great sound package, the lights are good – but not as great as some of the newer active LED systems – and the brakes are strong.
It’s a car which gradually wins me over, despite the price and knowing that it’s really a Golf R in a party frock.
Audi buyers are more likely to be cross-shopping a BMW or a Benz and, for that reason, it’s a car to enjoy and add to the shopping list for a comparison test drive.
THE BASICS
Audi S3
Price: from $64,200
Power: 213W/380Nm
Transmission: 7-speed DSG, all-wheel drive
Position: upscale baby hatch
Plus: quick and classy
Minus: equivalent Golf is much cheaper
THE TICK: just for the looks
Score: 8/10
